What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Collided with mountain terrain. (.4)the non-instrument rated private pilot departed on a cross-country flight over coastal fjords and mountainous terrain. Prior to departure, the pilot obtained a weather briefing that included airmets for mountain obscuration in clouds and precipitation along the route of flight. No flight plan was filed by the pilot. About 10 hours after departure, an ELT signal was received from a location about 7 miles from the planned destination. Due to low ceilings, helicopter search personnel could not reach the accident site. The following day, the airplane wreckage was located on steep, snow covered mountainous terrain, about 3,000 feet mean sea level. Avalanche conditions prevented rescue personnel from reaching the wreckage until 18 days later. (-23)aircraft was destroyed and the pilot fatally injuries during a collision with mountain terrain about six miles east fo Sitka, Alaska. He was enroute from yakutat to sika in VFR to marginal VFR weather conditions.
As the FAA filed it
COLLIDED WITH MOUNTAIN TERRAIN. (.4)THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT DEPARTED ON A CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT OVER COASTAL FJORDS AND MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. PRIOR TO DEPARTURE, THE PILOT OBTAINED A WEATHER BRIEFING THAT INCLUDED AIRMETS FOR MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION IN CLOUDS AND PRECIPITATION ALONG THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED BY THE PILOT. ABOUT 10 HOURS AFTER DEPARTURE, AN ELT SIGNAL WAS RECEIVED FROM A LOCATION ABOUT 7 MILES FROM THE PLANNED DESTINATION. DUE TO LOW CEILINGS, HELICOPTER SEARCH PERSONNEL COULD NOT REACH THE ACCIDENT SITE. THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE AIRPLANE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED ON STEEP, SNOW COVERED MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, ABOUT 3,000 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL. AVALANCHE CONDITIONS PREVENTED RESCUE PERSONNEL FROM REACHING THE WRECKAGE UNTIL 18 DAYS LATER. (-23)AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED AND THE PILOT FATALLY INJURIES DURING A COLLISION WITH MOUNTAIN TERRAIN ABOUT SIX MILES EAST FO SITKA, ALASKA. HE WAS ENROUTE FROM YAKUTAT TO SIKA IN VFR TO MARGINAL VFR WEATHER CONDITIONS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.